Bottle crate



May a, 1924.. 1,43,238

w. w. BlRNsTocK BOTTLE CRATE Filed April 6. 1923 I s Sheets-Sheet 1 May 6 1924.

w. w. BIRNSTOCK BbTTLE CRATE Filed Ap ril 1s 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. W. BIRNS'TCCK BOTTLE CRATE F1158 April Patented May 6, 1924.

MACHINERY COMPANY, or

sYLvANIA.

a sa e WILLIAM w. BIRNSTOCK, or YonK, rENNsYLvANra A'ssreNoa 050 Year; MILK YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENN- BOTTLE cnAr'E.

Application filed April 16, 1923. Serial No. 632,493.

To all whom it may conceww Be it known that I, WILLIAM 1V. BIRN- STOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle Crates, of whichthe following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improve-'- ments in bottle crates, and more particularly to those of the kind suitable for use in the handling of milk bottles.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved crate structure, whereby the bottles will be effectually supported in their proper position within the crate, whether the bottles be inserted therein in upright or inverted position, certain parts of the crate structure may be used interchangeably in the manufacture of crates for different sizes and numbers of bottles, thus standardizing the crate struc tures, and thereby facilitating their assembling and otherwise reducing their cost of manufacture, and furthermore, the crates may be used conveniently and efficiently as containers for the bottles when the latter are passed, while in inverted position, through a bottle washing machine.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification. 1

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of a milk bottle crate constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

. FiguresQ, 3 and 4: are top plan views of portions of'millr bottle crates constructed in accordance with thepresent invention to accommodate, respectively, bottles of difier ent sizes;

Figure ,5 represents a' vertical section through the crate shown in Figure 1, the section being taken on the line 55 in that figure;

Figures 6, 7 and 8represent vertical sections on the lines 6--6, 77 and 88,respectively,'in Figures 2, 3 and 1; and

Figures 9, 10, 11 and-12 are detail perspecments in bottle crate structures which are applicable more particularly to crates of the kind adapted for use in the handling ofmilk bottles, both when filled and empty, the invention providing novel and. improved means for supporting the bottles in upright position, when filled, and in inverted position whenempty, the bottles, when in inverted position in the crates, being ready for washing by passing them while in thecrates through a bottle washing machine. The preferred embodiments of theinvention are shown in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter described in detail.

It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted to the precise constructions' shown, as equivalent constructions are'contemplated and these will be included within the scope of the claims. I

According to the present invention, as shown in the present instance, each crate comprises a pair of end walls or members 1 and a pair of side members 2, these members being suitably joined or united at their corners to form a substantially rectangular case of appropriate size, longitudinal cup-supporting members 3 which extend across the bottom of the crate, in pairs and are secured by pins, nails or other suitable devices 4 to the respective end members of the crate, and bottle-supporting cups which are mounted on and secured to the respective pairs ofvv members'3. Partition members 5 which be of any suitable kind. and number preferably extend both longitudinally, and trans versely of the crate, at appropriate levels above the bottle-supporting cups and secured at their ends in the end and side niem bers respectively of the crate. The cup-sup-v porting members 3 may be of any suitable cross-section, although it is preferable to construct them of flat strips, the intermediate portions of which have their fiat sides arranged vertically, and the ends of which are twisted to bring their flat sides into a horizontal plane and thus facilitate their attachment to the end members of the crate,

this construction being particularly advantageous when the lower edges of the end members 1 are provided with strips .1 which are secured in place by nails or similar means 6, the flat twisted ends of the cup supporting members 3 being then adapted 'for interposition between the respective strips 1 and the body portions of the end members 1 and having perforations through which the securing devices 4, such as nails, may be driven.

Each pair of longitudinal. members 3 serves to support a set of bottle-supporting cups. The number of cups on each pair of these men'ibers may vary according to the size and the number of bottles to be accommodated in the crate, but it is advan 'adapted to accommodate one dozen milk bottles of relatively large size, as for eX- ample, the quart size, three pairs of cup supporting members 3 are provided within the crate and each pair of these members has a set of four bottle-supporting cups 7 fixed thereto. Each cup in this instance, and as shown in detail in Figures 5 and 9, comprises a flat body 8 having upturned concentric segmental ears or flanges 9 at its corners, a central opening 10, a surrounding substantially concave depression 11, and a pair oi lugs 12 which are cut from the body 8' at diametrically opposite points and are bent down, as shown in Figures 5 and 9. The cup is preferably produced from a punching of sheet metal, its substantially flat portion 8 with the marginal segmental ears 9 providing a socket or seat to receive and hold the bottom of a milk bottle in centered position thereon, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 5, and the depression 11 provides a socket to receive the mouth of a milk bottle when inserted into the crate in inverted position, the bottle being there-- by supported and held centered by said depression in the cup. The downturned ears 12 at diametrically opposite sides of the cup are so positioned that they will straddle the supporting members 3, to which these ears may be suitably fixed, as by welding, riveting or the like, the downwardly bulged central portion of the cup, produced by the depression 11 being accommodated in the naeaass space between the supporting members 3, as clearly appears in Figure 5.

In constructing crates to accommodate milk bottles of smaller sizes, the spacing.

more closely on each pair of supporting members, the number of bottles to be accommodated by these creates can be increased. The Cup-supporting members 3, however, may be constructed and secured within the crate, substantially as shown and described with respect to the crate illustrated in Figure 1, the spacing between the supporting members of each pair being uniform, although the pair of supporting members are located more closely within the crate.

The bottle supporting cups employed in the crates shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 and which, as shown, are adapted to accommodate milk bottles of pint, one-half pint and one-quarter pint sizes, respectively, are shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12, respectively, these cups being interchangeably attachable to any pair of cup-supporting members 3. The cup shown in Figure 10, which is preferably formed from a stamping of sheet metal, comprises a body 8 having concentric segmental ears or flanges 9 at its corners, so that this body portion provides a seat or socket to receive, support and center the bottom of a bottle, as is shown by the dotted lines representing the upright bottle in Fig ure 6, and the cup contains a central opening 10 surrounded by a concave depression 11*, this depression being of a size and shape i to receive, support and center the mouth bf an inverted milk bottle, as is indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 6 representing the inverted bottle. Ears 12 formed at diametrically opposite sides of the'body 8 and and which is of the type used in the crate illustrated in Figure 3, may also be formed from a punching of sheet metal, it comprising a-body portion 8 which is flat or substantially so I and has segmental ears or flanges 9 at its opposite edges which are concentric and segmentahthe body portion 8" being thus adapted to serve as a seat or socket to receive, support and center the bottom of a bottle inserted in upright position into the crate, and the center of the cup has an opening 10" whiclrgis surrounded by a concave depression 11", this depression being of a size and shape to receive, support and center the mouth of a bottle inserted in'inverted position within the crate. Diametrically opposite edges of the body 8 have ears 12 projecting therefrom, these ears being bent downwardly into substantial parallelism so that when the cup is applied to the longitudinal supporting members 3, these cars straddle the outer sides of such members and may bewelded, riveted or otherwise suitably fixed thereto, the depressed portion 11 of the cup being accommodated between the supporting members 3, as is shown in Figure 7 The cup shown in Figure 12 is of the kind preferably used in crates of the form shown in Figure 4:, this cup being suitable for use in crates adapted to contain milk bottles of the one-quarter pint size, which commonly have the bottom and mouth of the same diameter and substantially of the same shape. The cup in this instance, which may be formed from a punching of sheet metal, comprises a body 8 having ears 12 projecting from diametrically opposite edges thereof and bent downwardly, the cup has a central opening 10 and it also has a concave depression 11 which surrounds the opening 1O within the body 8 and is of a size and shape to receive, support and centerthe bottom of an upright bottle or the mouth of an inverted bottle. The cup in this instance is applicable to the longitudinal supporting members 3, as in the previous instances, the downturned ears 12 being so positioned that they will straddle the outer sides of these supporting members and are adapted to be welded, riveted or otherwise secured thereto, and the depressed portion 11 of the cup will be accommodated in the space between the supporting members. By providing pairs of supporting members to which the sets of individual bottle supporting cups are secured, the crates may be advantageously assembled from parts which are interchangeable in the different crates, and by constructing the different size cups so that they are all applicable to uniformly-spaced pairs of supporting bars, the operations incident to the application and fastening of the different cups to these bars may be performed with facility and at relatively small expense. The structure is such'that the crates, which are-all of the same size, maybe readily constructed to accommodate bottles of 'difi'erentsizes and numbers, the"individual cups in; each instance being securelysupported by there- 7 spective pairs of supporting members,- and the cups functioning v to -iproperly support,

center and hold thebottles 1n properposiparts maybe accomplished inexpensively and with facility.

The present invention. provides a crate structure which is particularly advantage-"' ous'where the bottles are filled and capped while they are contained in the crates, thus, for example, meeting the growing tendency of dairymen to fill and cap milk bottles while the bottles are contained in the crates 5.

as the latter come from the washing machine, thus avoiding the loss of time and the labor I of presenting the bottles, one at a time, to the filling and washing machine. Accord ing to the present invention, the crates to contain quart, pint, half-pint and quarterpint bottles may each be constructed readily and inexpensively to containthe same number of bottles, say a dozen, and these bottles in the different crates may-be spaced uni- 1 formly, this being capable of accomplish ment inexpensively and with facility by rea-? son of the individual bottle-cup structure hereinbefore described, (the different crates, although constructed for bottlesof different sizes, being thusadapted for filling andcapping by an in-thecase filler. On the other hand, the individual bottle supporting cup constructionenables the crates to be inexpensively contructed to accommodate difierent numbers of bottles, as may be permitted by the different sizes of the bottles, or to accommodate any desired number of bottles, a this being particularly advantageous in constructing crates to contain beverage bottles.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a bottle crate, the combination with the outer casing, of memberssupported by said casing to extend in pairs across the bottom thereof, and a set of individual bottle supporting cups mounted on eachpair of said members, each cup having parts which locate and secure it to its respective pair of supporting members.

2. In a bottle crate, the combination with 139 an outer casing, of a pair of supporting members extending across the bottom thereof, and a set of individual bottle supporting cups spaced longitudinally on said members and having portions which straddle said members and secure the'cups thereto.

3. In a bottle crate, the combination with an outer casing, of a pair of supporting members extending across the lower portion thereof, and a set of bottle supporting cups mounted in longitudinally spaced relation on said member, each cup bridging said members and having lugs which respectively secure it to said members. I

4:. In a bottle crate, the combination with an outercasing, of .a'pair of supporting members having their ends secured to opposite walls of the casing, and a set of bottle supporting cups mounted in longitudinally spaced relation on said members, each cup bridging said members and formed with bent ears which lap and are secured to the respective supporting members...

5. In a bottle crate, the combination of a 'pair of parallel supporting members, and a set of bottle supporting cups arranged in longitudinally spaced relation thereon, each cup comprising a substantially annular body to receive and support a bottle, and having ears at its opposite edges which are secured respectively to the supporting members.

6. In a bottle crate, the combination of a pair of supporting members, and a set of individual supporting cups spaced longitudinally thereon, each cup comprising a sheet metal body shaped to receive and support a bottle and having at its opposite edges ears bent out of the plane of the'body and se cured to said supporting members.

7. In a bottle crate structure, the combination of a pair of supporting members, and a set of individual bottle supporting cups spaced longitudinally thereon, each cup having an inner depressed portion to receive and support the mouth of a bottle, said depressed portion being accommodated in the space nation of a pair of supporting members, and

a plurality of individual bottle supporting cups spaced longitudinallythereon, each cup having an inner depressed portion which is accommodated in the space between said members and is shaped to receive a portion ofa bottle to center and supportit, and ears proceeding from opposite edges of the cup and bent downwardly at the outer sides of said members and secured to the latter.

9. In a bottle crate structure, the combination of a pair of substantially parallel supporting members, and a plurality of individual bottle supporting cups spaced longitudinally thereon, each cup comprising a body having a seat which bridges said members and is adapted to center and support the bottom of a bottle, an inner relatively depressed portion which is accommodated in the space between said members and is adapted to center and position the mouth of a'bottle, and

ears which proceed from opposite edges of the body and are bent out of the plane thereof to respectively engage said members and secure the cup thereto.

10. In a bottle crate structure, the combination of a pair of, supporting members in substantial parallelism, and a plurality of individual bottle supporting cups spaced longitudinally thereon, each ,cup comprising a body of sheet metal which bridges said members and is adapted to center and support the bottom of a bottle, an inner depressed portion which projects into the space between said members and is adapted to center and support the mouth of a bottle, and

ears which extend from opposite edges of the cup and are bent to engage the outer sides of said members to secure the cupthereto.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set In hand.

y I WILLIAM W. BIRNSTOCK. 

